SchoolWealth

SchoolWealth connects dollars to student achievement through School Intelligence.

[schoolwealth-blog]

8 Things They Don’t Teach in Superintendent and Principal School - Part 4

(Fourth of a 4-part series) 

New superintendents are typically surprised and often challenged by how much of the job has very little to do with educating children or raising academic achievement, especially in districts with frequent turnover in top leadership positions. In some states, the average length of service for the superintendent position has lately and historically been fewer than two years, this in a profession that research suggests requires five or more years of consistent leadership in order to affect meaningful change.

This juxtaposition often results in time spent building trust and establishing a vision with constituencies that are understandably reluctant to invest in the process. Leadership is only as effective as the "followship" it inspires, a process that can easily be sidetracked or completely derailed by the tenuous hold a new superintendent may have on the position. This difficult, though not atypical, scenario has a direct connection to two aspects of the superintendency that few anticipate as they acclimate to the job.

7. Much of the Superintendency Often Has Little To Do Directly with Educational Issues In any district with a full array of extra and co-curricular activities including a robust interscholastic sports program, issues arising from those offerings frequently and eventually end up landing on the desk of the superintendent. Even when proper delegation of authority and responsibility includes interaction with principal or athletic director as proper initial steps in a parent or student concern, some are never satisfied with the outcome of events until and unless the superintendent weighs in.

Parents are often at their most unreasonable and least rational when it comes to the extracurricular or interscholastic athletic activities of their children. Most superintendents with any time on the job have fielded phone calls or emails that begin with the statement, "This is not about the playing time of my kid" before a parent launches into a tirade that clearly or eventually belies that qualifier. It is almost always about playing time when a parent has a problem with the coach of a sport or the advisor of an activity.

Another realm that vexes most superintendents is of oversight of the physical plant, an aspect of district leadership for which most district leaders are ill-prepared. Though others are nominally in charge of buildings and grounds issues, many board members and lay-people fully expect the superintendent to know as much as anyone else in the district about fenestration, EPDM versus built-up roofing, or levels of carbon monoxide adjacent to all boiler rooms in the district. Time spent on each of those issues is time lost to overseeing innovation or ensuring gains in academic achievement.

8. Not All Board Members Serve to Advance the Interests of Students In a perfect world, those who run for a seat on the board of education would have no political aspirations and only want what's best for the students of the district. If true, then Mark Twain was wrong in 1897 when late in his life he infamously wrote: "In the first place God made idiots. This was for practice. Then he made school boards."

In a more practical and realistic assessment, school board members are no more or less likely than anyone else to exhibit entirely human characteristics like compassion, ineptitude, or hubris. Their role as policy creators and fiscal overseers is made infinitely more complicated when parents burden them with unrealistic expectations of instant improvement and magical solutions to everyday issues. In a well-intentioned effort to assist parents, many new school board members overstep their authority and promise more than they could or should deliver when a problem is shared, often in a social setting far from school time and place.

Into this all-too-typical milieu confidently strides the superintendent, who is instantly confronted with the need to simultaneously settle an issue while correcting a board member's misstep that may have exacerbated it. The seasoned superintendent immediately recognizes the value and wisdom of enlisting the aid of the board president in calming the waters and settling the problem, if only by teaching a rouge board member the blessings of restraint when confronted with an irate or irrational parent.

Principals and superintendents serve in positions of authority and leadership rivaled by few if any others in a school district. These roles require patience, wisdom, and the humility to accept the fact that their jobs are sometimes made more difficult by others not restrained by professional ethics or a moral compass. Graduate school is important in the preparation of school and district leaders, and practical experience that only comes with time spent in these positions is irreplaceable and invaluable. Principals and superintendents who learn early that locally derived data and its proper analysis by professionals trained for that task is the best bulwark against making decisions based on instinct or experience alone.

The things not taught explicitly in graduate school can nevertheless be gleaned by those who anticipate the many challenges of running a school or a district. By considering possibilities before they occur and by having a plan for clear-headed and compassionate leadership, educational leaders are most likely to succeed by evidencing a foundation of what is best for the social, emotional and academic success of the students as decisions are rendered and outcomes are delivered.

[schoolwealth-blog]

8 Things They Don’t Teach in Superintendent and Principal School - Part 3

(Third of a 4-part series) 

School principals have the unique responsibility to ensure the smooth daily operations of their schools while simultaneously holding everyone accountable for doing their best work. The biblical phrase "all things to all people" first attributed to the Apostle Paul is an apt descriptor of the role of a school principal, especially at the elementary level where virtually everything lands in the lap or on the desk of the principal.

Running a school takes on a certain automaticity, and the logistical aspects of the job can easily overshadow the more seminal responsibility of increasing academic achievement. Especially in a smaller school with little or no administrative support from a vice-principal or guidance personnel, being a school principal can be a very challenging proposition, especially for those who embrace change over the status quo and who take seriously their responsibility to drive innovation and improvement in the daily delivery of instruction.

Adding to the challenges of serving as a school principal is managing the role of parents in the operation of a school. Parental involvement has become a catch-phrase for a wide variety of behaviors exhibited by parents, not all of them conducive to running a school efficiently or effectively. Though it is awkward and politically foolhardy to admit or acknowledge, this aspect of school leadership leads to two more things not taught to those who aspire to the principalship. 

5. Not All Parental Involvement is Good Consider the practice of allowing parents to assist in the school library or in any other school day program or activity. Even scheduled in advance and carefully monitored, having parents present during the school day automatically makes them occasionally or persistently privy to things that parents should not necessarily witness, most notably the interactions between a student having a difficult time of things and the staff member(s) who are trying to help the student and the situation. Rare is the school principal who has not dealt with fallout from parents who hear an inaccurate version of events from a volunteer about an incident in school.

The right to and expectation of privacy can be compromised when a parent volunteer with the best of intentions to serve the school engages in the entirely human practice of telling a trusted friend about something that happened at school during a volunteer activity. The seasoned principal is typically mindful of this possibility and careful to intervene diplomatically by counseling volunteers to respect the privacy of students and parents by not sharing stories of what happens to the children of others that may be perceived negatively.

6. Parental Involvement is Different and Distinct From Parental Engagement The difference between these two phrases is often the hinge point as to whether the presence of parents is productive or detrimental to the operation of a school, extending well beyond semantics or the turn of a phrase. Parental involvement has by far been the more popular phrase in the lexicon of public schooling, though parental engagement is healthier for children and schools.

Parental involvement is an excellent way to describe the role parents should play in all aspects of their own child's education, ideally driven by the needs of the child and the inclination of the parent to help in a way that matches their ability to help. There is no formula for success in this realm, in keeping with virtually all aspects of being an effective parent. The best approach is to do what seems right, and to monitor and adjust the approach to parental involvement as any child progresses through the school experience.

Parental engagement is a much better description of the preferred role parents can play in helping a school or its principal to deliver the best possible experience to all children. Parental engagement can take the form of serving on committees or regularly attending meetings of the PTA, PTO, or HSO. It can also include running for a seat on the board of education, clearly the most productive and responsible way to craft policy with the legitimate authority to do so and to ensure that the schools are well run without trying to actually run them.

The last item in this series will examine two additional aspects of the superintendency that typically receive scant attention in professional preparation programs of study. Examining aspects of school or district leadership roles that carry more practical than theoretical benefits is the best way to improve practice and to educate the lay-public as to the challenges faced by principals and superintendents in performing their jobs well.

[schoolwealth-blog]

8 Things They Don’t Teach in Superintendent and Principal School - Part 2

(Second of a 4-part series) 

The comprehensive role of superintendent requires a skill set that includes many things anyone would expect of an educational leader. The ability to communicate well with different constituencies and the ability to establish a vision for the future of a district are two of the most basic responsibilities of anyone who serves in a central office leadership position. Striking the proper balance between transparency and confidentiality in decision-making, while less apparent to those who have never served in the position, is no less important for those who succeed as a chief school administrator.

The career arc of anyone who becomes a superintendent typically includes time as a teacher, where many of the communication skills required for success are developed. Also common is time spent as a building-level administrator, where many of the delegating and prioritizing skills necessary for central office success are similarly honed. Regardless of whether time as a teacher or principal precedes the superintendency, the feeling of being occasionally overwhelmed and consistently humbled by the job is virtually universal among new superintendents.

Graduate school and an advanced degree or two are standard fare for most superintendents before ascending to that position. Despite the best intentions of virtually every program of study meant to prepare superintendents for their role, there is no better preparation than time served. The mistakes made, lessons learned, and improvement experienced as a superintendent is priceless and irreplaceable.

A brief examination of things not taught in graduate school can assist anyone who needs to understand the responsibilities of a superintendent of schools or a school principal. If scheduling and budgeting represent challenges for most new principals, the two items examined herein certainly qualify as equal challenges for superintendents.

3. Establishing Partnerships New superintendents are initially very popular, with a "honeymoon" phase that can last for weeks, months, or longer. In the most respectful manner possible, taking stock of what has transpired in the recent past and learning from everyone as to the perceived strengths of a district and challenges faced and overcome is an especially wise way to spend the first many months as a superintendent. Before setting out to change a culture, learning about the culture that exists is the best way to exhibit the proper respect for everyone who works in a district.

It is during the halcyon honeymoon days that a new superintendent can establish the partnerships likely to ensure long-term success. Superintendents who are affable, avuncular, and accessible from the minute they land in the chair are those who succeed in improving the district they are honored to serve.

Partnerships with union leaders, local law enforcement, local political leaders, parent groups, the education foundation, local media, and local businesses all pay dividends for the district, and the degree to which the superintendent is front and center with many or all of these groups as "the face of the school district" is typically a surprise for a new superintendent. Embracing these opportunities to raise the district's profile and position it positively in the hearts and minds of the people in these groups and organizations is a central responsibility of the superintendent of schools 

4. Crisis Response Few people who serve as a superintendent of schools ever escape the job of responding to a crisis, whether an unexpected or untimely death, a natural disaster, or a breach in school security. Most who begin their time as a superintendent give little if any thought to this aspect of the job, but those who anticipate the need to communicate during or after a crisis and have a plan in mind or in place for such emergencies are better positioned to reassure people and establish order and comfort in a time of potential chaos.

Experienced district leaders are careful to keep the board president fully apprised of all events as an important initial step, sometimes before anyone else is informed or occasionally once law enforcement has been contacted. If a particular emergency requires an immediate response, and if that immediate response has been handled professionally and successfully, communicating with key personnel is an important and immediate next step.

Another aspect of crisis response that few new superintendents have ever handled directly is confronting the media when they make initial contact. It is precisely this situation that provides a compelling case for having a mutually respectful relationship with local media figures before a crisis occurs. A polite rebuff and a brief explanation as to the necessity of such a response is more easily delivered and more likely to suffice in the initial stages of an emergency situation than a simple "no comment."

The next item in this series will provide two additional things most principals wish they had learned in graduate school. School leadership can be both thrilling and lonely, and anticipating the things that have vexed others in the role can help anyone overcome challenges and succeed for their students and their schools.

[schoolwealth-blog]

8 Things They Don’t Teach in Superintendent and Principal School - Part 1

(First of a 4-part series) 

The role of school principal or school district superintendent each carry with them the need for unique skills and competencies, and colleges and universities that seek to prepare people for these roles do the best job they can in anticipating the demands of these leadership positions and crafting programs accordingly. Nothing in any graduate program, however, can truly prepare anyone as effectively or comprehensively as actual experience in the position. Anyone who has served as a principal or a superintendent could easily develop a list of things they wish they had learned in graduate school.

Though the two roles involve skills with considerable overlap, there nonetheless remain several aspects of each job that are unique. This series will provide a list and some brief commentary on four things for each position that would be good to know and that may have been absent from typical graduate programs in educational leadership. Considered first will be school leadership, further divided into the very different positions of elementary and secondary principal.

1. Scheduling While technology has certainly made the job of building a school schedule somewhat easier, the task of creating a schedule each year is daunting to every new principal, especially at the elementary level when little assistance is typically available other than from more experienced colleagues willing to help. This responsibility at the middle and high school levels is often shared with guidance personnel and vice-principals, and larger schools with multiple sections of classes are easier to schedule than smaller ones with more singleton courses that cannot conflict with other classes offered only once a day.

Graduate programs in school leadership rarely provide practical training in schedule building, simply because every district, and often schools within the same district, allow certain priorities to trump others. The principal, ideally with measured input from teachers themselves, should ultimately be the one who decides how to create a schedule that takes the interests and needs of students into account as the top priority. Doing so within contractual considerations of instructional staff is another constraint that is unique to every district and, therefore, cannot be adequately addressed in graduate programs of study.

New to scheduling in many districts is the connection between budget and program, resulting in the need for software that tracks spending and ties dollars to program, products, and personnel. Investing in such software is a cost-effective strategy for managing costs and tying resources to student achievement in a meaningful and tangible way.

2. Budgeting The process of building a budget and managing spending for an entire school year are aspects of the principalship that take most new principals by surprise. Direction from the business department is helpful during budget creation, and new principals are particularly wise to ask many questions and lean on the advice of experienced colleagues in the district. Managing a budget as a school year progresses is an entirely different process, one that includes prioritization and negotiation skills that few graduate programs provide for or include as part of the preparation of principals.

New principals quickly learn, sometimes the hard way, that spending early in a school year is smarter than waiting. It is not at all uncommon for the business office in many districts to institute a system of heightened scrutiny or enhanced justification of spending in the spring of a school year, spending that would sail through a less rigorous process at the beginning of a school year. Emergencies aside, if something that was anticipated while crafting a budget wasn’t purchased by the spring of a given school year, conventional wisdom often prevails and such late spending is typically forestalled.

Elementary principals often have a deeper connection to spending on instruction than secondary colleagues, simply because the nature of a secondary school budget includes extracurricular and interscholastic sports spending that is often and completely absent at the primary and intermediate grade levels. High school principals who maintain a detailed view of all spending, especially resources devoted to instruction, are those most likely to succeed at raising academic achievement, especially if software is in place and data is developed and considered that connects dollars to student achievement.

The next item in this series will tackle two things most new superintendents never anticipated as they considered their first central office position. Although most superintendents served previously as school principals, the nexus between these roles include some interesting points of departure that deserve consideration, especially in the areas of personnel leadership and communication.

[schoolwealth-blog]

4 Reasons for Public School Districts to Invest in Local Research - Part 4

(Fourth of a 4-part series) 

Public school districts and the people who lead them are accustomed to the scrutiny and oversight inherent in a profession that seeks to improve the lives and prospects of the nation's young people every year. The process of continuous improvement carries with it the need to use data to guide decision making, and the need for reliable data that relates directly to the needs and interests of students and the local community has caused many districts to expand the collection of data to include sources other than results from state or federally mandated annual assessments.

The existence and recent expansion of companies that exist to serve the research needs of K-12 schools has resulted in new kinds of data that has more of a prospect to guide local decision making than many previous sources of data, justifying the modest expense of contracting with such companies and outsourcing research on current practices or programs. Districts are also using this resource to determine whether to pursue new initiatives or abandon unproductive ones, guided by data gathered and analyzed at the local level.

New federal legislation that includes more freedom for local districts and states to pursue assessment protocols of their own design, and the affordability of outsourcing a research function to companies specializing in this service, has made school improvement more likely under ESSA than it had been during its more draconian predecessors. The tipping point as to whether the return of local control will improve educational opportunity may well hinge on the degree to which districts invest in local research, and whether districts furthermore invest in ways to use that research to connect dollars spent to academic gains made.

4. Local research, conducted independently and analyzed with software designed specifically to connect dollars to achievement, is one of the best ways to ensure a high return on investment in the nation's schools.  It came a pleasant and welcome surprise to many educators when one of the central tenets of ESSA, the federal legislation signed into law in December 2015 that replaced Race to the Top and No Child Left Behind, was the intentional increase in local control and autonomy in the assessment of learning. Implementation details have thus far aligned with the original intent of the new law in the area of assessment, and the coming elections will likely have little impact on ESSA in the near term.

At a time when the political world seems uncharacteristically willing to allow educators to have a stronger voice in developing and implementing policy on assessment of learning, it is incumbent upon district leaders and school boards to be prepared to act in the interests of students by having in place the products and personnel necessary to assess student outcomes and quality of products purchased and programs implemented. Included in this effort must be the rigorous and appropriate development, collection, and analysis of data that actually matters.

Every educator who has ever opined about the inadvisability of using high-stakes standardized testing to gauge the effectiveness of teachers or the learning of children must now be prepared to demonstrate that they have always known there was a better way, ideally by replacing old, summative, single assessments with an array of new assessments that match local priorities and that relate directly to local district goals. The implementation of ESSA, unlike its predecessors, allows for and encourages this outcome, making this the ideal time to invest in research and the use of data to drive instruction, all with the foundation of tying academic achievement gains directly to the resources it takes to enable them.

Public education is a multi-trillion dollar endeavor worldwide, and the United States, despite what often appears in the popular press, has always led the world in the quality of a public education system that meets the needs of all learners, regardless of birth circumstances, handicapping conditions, or any other factors that cripple systems of public education in other countries. The next few years hold the promise, more than the last many years, of improving the delivery of a free and appropriate public education to children in this country, all made more likely in districts that invest in local research and the kind of data analysis that ties learning outcomes to dollars spent.

[schoolwealth-blog]

4 Reasons for Public School Districts to Invest in Local Research - Part 3

(Third of a 4-part series) 

School districts have for many years been the recipients of data generated by forces beyond their control and outside of their wants, needs, or interests. This data has historically resulted from standardized tests given to groups or grade levels of students. Ever since NCLB was first enacted early in the first term of President George W. Bush, virtually all students in grades 3-11 have been tested every year, a phenomenon unique to the United States and thanks largely to giving policy decisions to lawmakers and politicians rather than honoring the input of educators and parents.

Testing virtually every student from the ages of 9 to 17 was initially packaged as a way to leave no child behind, an aim that during the Obama administration was reconstituted as a way for America to race to the top of the heap in terms of academic achievement. The results were mixed at best, and the advent of improved standards in the form of the Common Core necessitated a new assessment protocol, which produced more data that was largely unrelated to local preferences and values.

Backlash against PARCC and Smarter Balance assessments from parents, educators, and eventually from many of the same politicians who insisted on the need for these new assessments has led us to the present day, where calls for the abolishment of the Common Core are more commonly heard than support for their continued use. If that trend continues, the need for actionable data that is tangibly tied to local interests and values will only increase, leading in turn to the need for research to produce that data.

3. Local districts can outsource research that is targeted at things actually happening in their districts, at an affordable cost.  This notion may at first glance seem unrealistic, either due to cost considerations or a perceived lack of things to study in a local context. More thoughtful consideration of the prospect, however, has led many district leaders to contact any of the many dozens of research providers in the K-12 marketplace. Contracting with one or more of these private companies often results in the realization that every district has several interesting things happening every year that are worthy of detailed study by people trained to undertake the task, a process that ideally is guided by the superintendent or her/his designee.

A few examples can illustrate the concept of commissioning local research as a means of guiding policy and practice in any public school district. Perhaps a district is considering a change in reading or math series, or a shift from live instruction in world languages at the elementary level to the use of computer-assisted instruction. Virtually any change in the means or methods of delivering content can be improved by considering the body of research that always exists as the result of other districts, either locally, nationally, or internationally, that have already undertaken the task at hand.

The obvious value of considering what has worked and what has failed elsewhere has prompted districts to seek this information, a task made immeasurably easier by enlisting the aid of professionals trained for precisely this work. A lack of personnel and the absence of time to dedicate to the process of studying what has happened in like districts under similar conditions need never prevent districts from having this valuable data created and organized for them. Companies that perform this work are universally accommodating and creative when it comes to negotiating a payment structure that works for both the provider and the client district.

Perhaps a school district is considering a change in school start times to honor recent research which suggests that adolescent learners would universally benefit academically by having a later start time each school day. The volume of research on just this topic, from a variety of medical and educational experts from across the country, would be of immense and immediate value to any school leader or school board that is considering this initiative. The existence of this data is undeniable, much of it inaccessible, however, without the time or means of obtaining it, packaging it, and sharing it with the public. Outsourcing some or all of these steps can make success more likely, rather than using vague references to what the research says about earlier start times in presenting new initiatives to the public for their information and to secure their support.

The last item in this series will examine some final considerations in the use of local research by public school districts. As sources of assessment data shrink with the implementation of ESSA, districts must be properly positioned to fill the void with better research that is locally derived and targeted at things valued by the local community, another way to provide for measurable improvement in academic achievement for every child, every year.

[schoolwealth-blog]

4 Reasons for Public School Districts to Invest in Local Research - Part 2

(Second of a 4-part series) 

School district leaders are faced with expectations to improve academic achievement every year, and in most districts that process requires the collection and analysis of data from a variety of sources. Until recently, the preponderance of data came from standardized test results and few other places, predictably leading to an over-reliance on such data to assess school and district effectiveness. Add to this fact a steady stream of unfortunate federal legislation meant to spur academic improvement, and the less than stellar results have led to a reconsideration of how to improve public education. 

When parents are asked whether they are satisfied with their local public schools, the responses are overwhelmingly favorable, especially in suburban schools not plagued by persistent poverty and safety concerns more common in urban centers. Those same suburban parents, however, are apt to describe public schools as largely failing, thanks largely not to their own experiences with public schools but more likely tied to the drumbeat of negative press about public education from political leaders and the popular press.

A fundamental shift is underway in the way public schools are viewed, precipitated, oddly enough, by parental backlash stemming from assessments tied to the Common Core in the past few years. As the folly of using standardized test data to gauge school and district success or, even more strangely, to assess teacher effectiveness has taken root, so too has the need for different kinds of data that is more rooted in what is actually happening in schools at the local level. With this backdrop, it is no surprise that districts are beginning to invest in new sources of data, often coupled with a growing appreciation for the value of local research.

2. Outsourcing research is affordable and is one of the best ways to gather data to improve academic achievement and return on investment in our public schools.  A simple Internet search on the subject of K-12 research companies reveals just how many entrepreneurs in the education marketplace have recently begun expanding their services from the post-secondary market to the larger and more lucrative K-12 space. Any district leader who understands the confluence of data needs, ESSA implementation, and changes in assessments as catalysts for change has already taken the plunge into convincing a sometimes skeptical board that investing in research at the local level is a remarkably cost-effective way to monitor expenses and make decisions on programs, products, and personnel.

Some research companies charge a flat fee for their services, often with a large cap on the number of projects a district may undertake in a given year, while others bill their district clients only on the studies specifically undertaken. Regardless of the billing policies of the companies involved, district leaders and the boards that employ them are often and pleasantly surprised at how affordable this option can be for their districts. As discretionary dollars become tighter with each school budget cycle, spending every dollar wisely and having research to support decisions to continue, modify, or abandon a particular initiative has never been more important.

The diversity of opinion that a private company can bring to a study of any district's programs and products simply cannot be matched by having district personnel take their own measure of effectiveness or efficacy. Research companies often provide a review of current literature and a summary of best practices from across the country that local districts also cannot match, due less to an inability to perform this work but rather to the lack of time to do it. Especially in all but the largest urban districts, having a research department or even a few people dedicated solely to a research function is cost-prohibitive.

The prospect of conducting research targeted specifically at what any district is currently doing has long been something districts could not afford to do. The advent of companies dedicated to this task makes this kind of research a thing that districts cannot afford to leave out of their improvement plans. The next item in this series will provide several specific examples of how local and outsourced research can be used to improve educational outcomes and the delivery of instruction at the district level. 

[schoolwealth-blog]

4 Reasons for Public School Districts to Invest in Local Research - Part 1

(The first in a 4-part series)

The relationship between data and research is clear to most people. The vast majority of professions rely on research and the data it produces to guide decisions that can make the difference between success and failure, especially in businesses that are subject to competitive market forces. It is precisely the lack of competition that for many years characterized the operation of public school districts and may have resulted in a general disdain for conducting research and a disinterest in developing sources of data at the local, district level.

With the advent of charter schools approximately 25 years ago, and with a renewed focus on standardized test data as a measure, fairly or unfairly, as to the success of public school districts, education has undergone a fundamental shift in its relationship with data. It is now common for parents and community members to review data published in newspapers, magazines, and online that purport to rank schools and districts on a variety of indicators.

The rationale for this scenario often involves the concept of competition as a motivation for improvement, tacitly implying that educators weren't trying hard enough because they had little competition. This fundamental absurdity gained momentum when the only data typically available on schools and districts were derived not locally but on a statewide or national scale. America's embrace of standardized test scores and the carrot and stick model for school improvement that it spawned was a basic premise of NCLB during the George W. Bush presidency and was amplified by RTTT during the Obama presidency. 

1. New Federal Legislation as a Catalyst for Change  ESSA, the successor to past legislation on the governance of public schools, provides some hope that things are changing for the better, especially in the area of assessment. As implementation details of the new law emerge, educators are anticipating the likelihood of more freedom to assess learning with multiple measures designed at the local level and approved at the state level. As the next few months and years unfold, research and data conducted and collected locally will likely supplant the largely failed attempts at national assessments that grew from an embrace of the standards that have come to be known as the Common Core.

Anticipating this scenario, districts are beginning to respond by enhancing their ability to conduct or commission research on what is happening locally, with the intent to use data that results to make decisions on personnel, programs, and products. When a previously meddlesome federal government gives back authority to decide what should be measured and how, districts must be prepared to respond with a viable plan, ideally featuring new sources of data that embrace personalization and customization.

Any organization would benefit by having at its disposal a research function, especially an organization that is accustomed to the process of monitoring progress and adjusting procedures accordingly, a descriptor that certainly applies to public education. In many ways and for many reasons, one key thing typically absent and sorely needed to enable the enhanced success of public school districts has been the existence of research conducted consistently, productively, and locally. Only the largest districts have traditionally had the resources necessary to staff and maintain a research department, though all districts would benefit from the consistent application of this foundational principle.

At a time in our history when politicians are more apt to "get rid of the Common Core" or "abolish the US Department of Education" than ever before, educators must be ready to make things better immediately by anticipating these possibilities and being equipped to respond with the expertise that politicians typically lack. We are entering a phase of unprecedented opportunity for autonomy and improvement, guided by educators who know what works for the nation's students, ideally guided by research of their own design.

The next item in this series will examine cost-effective ways for even the smallest districts to conduct or commission its own research. A practical look at how to enable this important concept to become a standard practice holds the promise of helping all districts meet the obligation to improve academic opportunities and achievement for every student every year. 

[schoolwealth-blog]

7 Reasons Why Teachers and Sales Professionals Are One and the Same

Gauging the stereotype scale, sales professionals can be found near the very bottom. Generally, there is a negative connotation surrounding the role. This is often unfair.

On the other end of the spectrum, you will find members within the education community…particularly teachers. These individuals merit positive feelings. Chances are, a former teacher just entered your thoughts.

Truth is, teachers and sales professionals should be considered one in the same. Here are 7 reasons why :

1. Positive Attitude It takes a strong mindset to be a teacher or a sales rep. Mental toughness is required. Customers will constantly deny a rep the sale. Teachers battle students all day long. Each role can have depressing moments. Carrying a positive attitude through it all is a must.

2. Leadership Skills Knowing how to lead people is one of the most defining traits in success. For the most part, this is not a course taught while earning a degree. This comes through experiences or is picked it up outside of formal education. As the primary conduit (between customer and product or student and outcome), the ability to lead is critical. Both professionals act on the “front lines”. Self-starters lead by example.

3. Patience Students can go days, weeks, or even months without grasping a concept. This can be frustrating. Then, that magic moment happens where it clicks. The same can be said for all those ‘no’s’ which finally get to the ‘yes’ in sales. Patience pays off in the end.

4. Likeability People do business with those who they like. The same can be said of the relationship between student and teacher (with respect added in). For the most part, the ability to smile, have fun, and be genuine will have a tremendous impact.

5. Listening Ability The best sales reps are always the best listeners. A one-sided conversation will lead to an instant rejection. However, if someone takes the time and makes the effort to actually listen, a positive result generally follows. This is true for teachers too. As a classroom leader, you must listen for those teachable moments. Without listening skills, the opportunity will pass by. Asking questions and listening is key. Reading body language should be factored into this too.

6. Measured by Objectives Teachers carry a quota too. Grades often act as your “number”. If every student in class failed, it would result in a negative consequence. Metrics can be applied to both positions. Additionally, peer management relates to each…whether a director or sales or principal and parents.

7. Inspirational Passion and excitement are contagious. The ability to capture the imagination of your audience is quite possible the single-most skill. Being a master storyteller makes you untouchable.

As you can see, significant overlap exists between these two professions. Fact is, the most successful individuals in each industry are often “educators” at heart.

[schoolwealth-blog]

4 Reasons for Districts to Invest in Data - Part 4

(Fourth of a 4-part series) 

Public school districts answer directly to the taxpayers who support them, with a business model that demands accountability and transparency to a degree generally not experienced by private companies. Most districts are led by a superintendent and other members of the administration, all of whom are hired and employed by a board of education that is charged with ensuring that the district is well run without actually running it themselves.

In this structure, justifying expenditures and using reliable data to monitor programs and adjust accordingly has taken on an unprecedented primacy in recent years. The advent of technology and the relative ease with which data can be collected and analyzed has led to an enhanced expectation that there is a data-derived reason for most decisions and recommendations that are made on products, programs, and personnel.

The decision to invest in the ability to generate, collect, and analyze data in a local context always comes with a cost, leading to the need to reassure anyone who inquires that money spent can be tied tangibly to academic improvement. The fact that data can motivate better performance, while also providing justification for discretionary spending on a variety of programs and products, has resulted in increased investment in systems of data. Providing for intradistrict research capabilities is another way to enhance the collection and use of data.

The prospect of running a district is daunting enough, and the additional need to be mindful of data generation and its proper use can be overwhelming, especially since few district leaders have the time or the training to build data systems from the ground up. The final item in this series gives a glimpse into why they need not.

4. Outsourcing data production, collection, and organization to a company designed specifically for this purpose makes data more valuable as an aid to academic improvement. District leaders are generally quite adept at analyzing data and making decisions about the future of their districts, but are often faced with too much data from standardized testing and not enough from locally derived sources and programs. This paradigm is about to become more of an issue as ESSA unfolds, given the freedom in new federal legislation for states and local districts to substitute their own assessments for aspects of a largely failed federal accountability system. As opt-out percentages on national assessments inexorably climb, the opportunity for something better simultaneously emerges, especially in districts prepared for this entirely predictable progression.

During the current presidential race and accompanying congressional campaigns, there has been a remarkable lack of attention paid to public education, which can be viewed as both a blessing and a curse. Most public educators welcome a less meddlesome federal role in education policy, and most would also acknowledge a certain unease with what may be said when candidates do finally get around to talking about public education from a policy perspective.

The only refrain heard consistently thus far has been calls from both the political right and left, in an odd and uncharacteristic show of unity, to "get rid of the Common Core," usually meant more as an indictment of our overreaching federal government than an indication that there has been any thought given to what may replace it. Much like the bromides continuously issued by the political right about the Affordable Care Act, dismantling one thing without regard for the vacuum that would result is irresponsible.

During the time between passage of ESSA and the inauguration of our next president and seating of a new congress, the 115th in our nation's history, school leaders would be very wise to continue investing in the ability to conduct or commission research and gather data locally for use in their local districts. The opportunity for education to chart its own path toward continuous improvement has never been more clear, as the political world seems preoccupied with its own internecine squabbling to a degree rarely before seen.

That fact makes this the best possible time and the most favorable climate imaginable for educators to prove that they are better equipped than politicians to guide the profession into a bright future, guided by the wisdom derived from data and equipped with the courage to use it. The relatively small investment in outsourcing research and data by local districts, especially in the current political climate, has never been a better bet for ensuring the successful future of public education.

[schoolwealth-blog]

7 Ways for School Administrators to Justify a Higher Salary

Let’s face it, everyone wants to earn more income. We’re wired this way. Yet, salary isn’t always about receiving a set number of dollars. In fact, it can be more about rewarding value and success while associating a rank among counterparts. School administrators are competitive by nature. This acts as a way to gauge success and keep score. However, proving your worth in education can be difficult.

Fact is, data is the only way to reach this goal. Specific numbers unlock the vault.

Here is a short list of metrics to help uphold value in your quest for a promotion and/or pay increase :

1. Increase Student Achievement Anchors In reality, this is where your value will be graded the most. The 80/20 rule applies here…with 80% of your value being measured within this one area. Graduation rate, attendance, test scores, safety and security are the big ones. These figures generally guide the overall health of a district. You’re on an accelerated track to achieve your goal if you can gather year-over-year data and showcase increases.

2. Share Experiences and Skills Over Degrees Reality is, you’re competing with others for your next job. Or, you’re pulling financial resources from another department or person to get your pay raise. As a Superintendent, you have to assume your competitors have advanced degrees. The same goes for Principals. It can quickly become a level playing field. But, opportunity exists to highlight key life experiences and/or intricate skills as a way to differentiate yourself.

3. Illustrate Connections Between Dollars and Student Achievement Money matters as a school administrator. There is no way to escape this. Being able to track where you and your team spent financial resources and how it impacted student success is critical. This goes well beyond sharing a balance sheet or managing a budget. Having access to the data and knowing where and why funds went will put you well ahead of the pack.

4. Become a Master Storyteller People love a good story. And, telling a captivating story is a skill. Integrating emotion with facts in a clear, concise manner is an art. As a leader in education, this often is associated with vision…where you are going and how you will get there. People buy-in at this stage. The key with storytelling though is to enforce it with data. Specific examples must back up your words.

5. Get in the Game and Off of the Sidelines As a school administrator, there are hundreds of tasks you must encounter on a daily basis. It’s easy to get so consumed with crossing items off the to-do list that you become chained to your desk. Get out to schools and events. Capture the special moments with your staff and students. Data can’t justify your value here…but photos can. Plus, photos carry a high level of emotional value for people on the hiring side. Include photos and data with your resume.

6. Teacher Retention and Recruitment Team morale is at the crux of any successful endeavor. One person will have limited success. A cohesive group is unstoppable. Therefore, a leader is only as good as his or her team. In school districts across the globe, teacher retention and recruitment is critical. People want to work within a great place and serve with purpose. A strong indicator of your value with show through when you share the numbers surrounding teacher retention and recruitment.

7. Innovation Without Excessive Risk There is no such thing as a risk-free investment. To innovate, you often have to roll the dice and assume risk. This risk can elevate you to a leader. Keep in mind, leaders often swim upstream. You will have objections from teammates, community patrons, and board members. In education, an ill-advised move can make or break you. Therefore, a cautious and measured approach through data on the front-end of a decision often proves dividends on the back-end.

In the words of W. Edwards Deming, “Without data you’re just another person with an opinion.” Opinions don’t climb the ladder in this world. However, having data to back up your claim and justify your worth is incredibly powerful!

[schoolwealth-blog]

4 Reasons for Districts to Invest in Data - Part 3

(Third of a 4-part series) 

The decision to embrace the collection and analysis of data as an agent of change in a school district carries with it the need for consistent resource and board support. If those two factors are assured, and if data gathered locally is used to guide program and personnel decisions, then the expenditure of finite district resources to make it so is wise. Using such data to link dollars spent to academic achievement gains made, long the missing link in public school districts, is the wisest way to organize efforts around the enhanced use of data. 

Another facet of data use that has presented a challenge to many public school districts is the relative dearth of reliable and actionable data of the variety not tied to state assessments and other standardized measures of student achievement. As ESSA is implemented in the coming months and years, the move away from data derived by standardized testing to more locally designed and personalized assessments will present a new but welcome challenge to school districts nationally.

The coming transition from federally mandated assessment protocols to a new kind of assessment that relies more upon local decisions should ideally be accompanied by the foresight to anticipate new ways of gathering data and the wisdom to act on them. Developing a plan that prevents a vacuum created by the lack of data from stalling progress toward local control of assessments which, if history is a guide, would likely be filled in by politicians rather than educators, is essential.

3. All districts should create and maintain a research department or function to monitor change and enhance opportunities to innovate. Virtually every district has as part of its core mission the intention to innovate. The inclination to embrace new programs and products is or should be part of the operation in every public school district. As new approaches to instruction, scheduling, or assessment are designed and implemented, progressive districts also routinely include a way to produce, gather, and analyze data that can inform decisions and guide the process of adjusting approach.

All districts are large enough to need a research department or at least maintain a research function, but only larger districts can typically afford the staffing or even the space needed to enable it. Visionary leaders in the K-12 world of public education have recently begun to borrow ideas from post-secondary colleagues by hiring companies that can affordably provide research capabilities previously and otherwise lacking. A hypothetical illustration can neatly illustrate the value of outsourcing research.

Full day Kindergarten is something that research predominantly suggests is generally beneficial to students, and district leaders are often asked to implement such a program based on little more than intuition, presumptions, and assumptions about its likely value. Any company that performs research for the education field has at its disposal volumes of prior research and case study data to make a more compelling case for full day Kindergarten. If anyone needs convincing as to whether to roughly double the amount of time in school for five and six year-olds, citing existing research is immeasurably more effective than vague references to its existence.

While the pricing structure and approach used by research organizations vary, most district leaders and board of education members are pleasantly surprised by how affordable this brand of outsourcing can be, especially when a learning community needs to be convinced to support a new and innovative program that, inevitably, carries a price tag. Providing real data on best practices, successes enjoyed, and challenges encountered in like-districts is an effective way to ensure eventual support.

The final item in this series will examine another aspect of data that enhances the prospects for enhancing academic achievement in an affordable and practical manner, namely the wisdom of connecting discretionary spending to student outcomes by outsourcing as much of that process as possible and practical to companies built to perform precisely that function. Like companies that specialize in research, those that have as their sole purpose the ability to organize data for school districts provide possibilities and accountability that have long been lacking in the K-12 environment.

[schoolwealth-blog]

5 Areas in Education Where Spending is Trending Upward

A new school year is upon us. Students are revved up to return. Teachers are set to put their summer plans in play. Principals are prepared to manage their team. And, School District Executives have finalized their strategy to lead the district towards student success.

Often, this same excitement is quickly minimized due to precious financial resources being taken into account. The question must be asked, “Where do we get the highest Academic Return on Investment?”.

A primary goal of any school administrator is to advance student metrics year-over-year. This might be measured in terms of graduation rate, attendance, money in the bank, or even teacher retention. Regardless of your preferred benchmark, all decisions will illustrate a direct connection between dollars and student achievement.

As 2016-17 begins, here are areas expected to grow in spending :

1. Virtual Reality It’s nearly impossible to avoid this subject right now. Many people are discussing virtual reality and augmented reality as the next big thing. Chances are, they’re right. But, how will this impact education? The expectation among most is that all classrooms will have a headset or two within the near future. However, content is the key ingredient missing right now. This could take hold in the coming months. Imagine students being able to step into a historical experience in addition to reading about it or watching a video. With virtual reality, students become a part of education…past, present, future. They are active participants. Immersive and experiential learning is upon us. This field is still in its infancy. Spending here will only escalate.

2. Leadership Training For years now, the majority of professional development dollars have been spent on teachers. Rightfully so. A major component to this has been the arrival of educational technology in the form of interactive whiteboards and flat panels, tablets, and curriculum packages. Teachers are on the front lines. They must be experts and know how to use these tools. They deserve and warrant this training. However, spending could begin to shift towards Principals gaining access to specialized training. Fact is, learning how to lead people is not a class or course taught while earning a degree. It’s a skill. And, Principals are the primary conduit for leadership in any district.

3. Executive Software Every person and position throughout a school district has had to embrace software in some capacity. Teachers and students use software for formative assessments to elevate engagement. Cafeteria workers have learned advanced payment stations. Financial departments mastered online banking platforms. Software has reached far and wide in education. The bulk of educational software has been pointed towards the classroom. Yet, the new school year should begin to shift software towards School District Executives. This offering may encompass tools to manage a school district with more efficiency and effectiveness. Superintendents are CEOs. Executive software exists in business, health, even sports. Expectations surround the elevation of executive software to further collect data, analyze insights, streamline workflow, and monitor real-time actions. (Full Disclosure : SchoolWealth operates in this space)

4. Classroom/School Design Most adults have their special workspace…a happy place where they really get into a rhythm and accomplish key tasks. For you, this might be Starbucks. Or, it could be your home office. Maybe it’s a public park. Wherever it is, it’s your spot. Generally, these locations are colorful, flexible, and open. They allow for you to quickly and easily find a place of comfort. In turn, this materializes for you and your objectives. For students, they learn best in places like this too. Sitting at a small wooden desk in a tight classroom for hours of the day isn’t conducive for optimal results. Trends point towards a major shift in the near future surrounding the creation of learning spaces for students. Thankfully, there are small design changes can be made for a modest cost. This same area also has significant implications on the Maker Movement.

5. In-Class Breakfast Safety and security (physically, mentally, and emotionally) plays an enormous role in the success of a student. Kids must feel comfortable to learn. Unfortunately, not all students begin the day with food. This is often overlooked in education. We expect results and performance inside the classroom. But, how would you handle hours of learning on an empty stomach? Ensuring students start the day right is well worth the cost. An uptick is evolving towards in-class breakfast. This area is projected to climb as further research shows value. 

Naturally, all of the areas above are appreciated. People in education want the absolute best for students. Unfortunately, money is always a part of the equation. That said, it’s clear that the 2016-17 school year is going to further accelerate the blend of technology into every facet of education. The list above is merely a sample of expected areas to touch the top line of a school district’s balance sheet in order to increase the true bottom line…student achievement.

[schoolwealth-blog]

4 Reasons for Districts to Invest in Data - Part 2

(Second of a 4-part series) 

The discretionary spending portion of any public district school budget is remarkably small, often less than 10% of the total budget. With personnel costs consuming roughly 75-80 % of most budgets, very little typically remains for things like innovation, personalization of learning, instructional coaching, or any other initiatives that educators often cite as crucial to the success of a district and its students.

Given the finite nature of school budgets and the fiscal parameters under which school leaders must operate each year, the decision to commit limited resources to new things and new ideas takes on added significance in any budget cycle. Convincing a board of education to consider new ways of doing things is never an easy prospect, especially absent reliable data to justify expenditures.

Investing in the ability to develop data locally that is reliable and actionable carries with it the need for resource support, and products and services are now emerging in the educational marketplace that make this important task less difficult and more cost-effective than ever before. Examining why data is a good investment is worthy of a closer look, and organizing thoughts around four specific recommendations is the purpose of this series. Data can motivate enhanced performance, one of many reasons to feature data procurement and analysis as part of any effort to increase academic achievement.

2. Data procurement and analysis is an excellent way to justify discretionary spending and guide the decision-making process. Public education has undergone a transformation of sorts in its relationship with data. Initial skepticism and resistance to the use of data over more traditional means of assessing performance or effectiveness has been giving way as part of the landscape in public education, with mixed but promising results. The need for data that can be trusted and that should be used to guide decisions on personnel and program persists, leaving districts and their leaders to consider new ways to collect, organize, and utilize data.

The prospect of organizing school spending in a way that neatly ties together spending and student achievement is emerging as the most logical way to control costs and improve outcomes. The best answers to whether a new program or product is having its intended effect on learning and achievement are always accompanied by data to back them up, and designing a system that generates such data and packages it in usable form has been the mission of visionary providers in the educational marketplace.

The concept of relating dollars to achievement is simultaneously logical and desirable, especially in districts where innovation is the underlying reason for most discretionary spending decisions. Early adopters, whether staff members implementing new things or board members voting to support them, usually comprise about one-third of all stakeholders. The other two-thirds are often evenly divided as fence-sitters or naysayers. It is those waiting to see which way the winds of change may blow who constitute the best reason to invest in data as a means of driving productive change.

As public education becomes more comfortable with data and more resigned to its continued use in deciding what to do and what to fund, the investment in software and training that links money to academic achievement has never been more advisable or timely. The next item in this series will provide a third reason for districts to invest in data, namely a renewed commitment to research at the local level that can be accomplished in a cost-effective manner, regardless of district size or budgetary pressures.

[schoolwealth-blog]

4 Reasons for Districts to Invest in Data - Part 1

(First of a 4-part series) 

Public education has been undergoing an inexorable shift in its relationship to data, arguably first prompted by the publication of A Nation At Risk during the Reagan presidency in 1983. That landmark study, and others like it, painted a dim picture of the state of public education in America. The predictable result was angst, calls for change, and a gradual shift from intuitive decision making to a process that included the consideration of data to drive change.

Educators gradually accepted the value of data, though with some justified skepticism. The focus on data spawned an entire industry around the testing and punishment model for school improvement from which we are only now fitfully emerging. The same era that gave us the "War on Drugs" and accompanying incarceration rates that are now under serious and long overdue scrutiny also gave us a model for school improvement with similarly unfortunate results.

The victims of the failed testing and punishment model for school improvement have been the nation's children, and one additional casualty has been the general willingness for educators to trust data as the foundation of school reform and improvement efforts. Most who have served in the nation's schools during the past several decades will acknowledge that data can be a valuable tool in school improvement efforts, with the logical caveat that locally derived, reliable, and actionable data is far superior to data derived with the express purpose of shaming schools or districts into the process of school improvement.

A fresh approach to and relationship with data is now made possible by, ironically, the passage of new federal regulations known as the Every Student Succeeds Act, the successor to No Child Left Behind. ESSA removes much of the regulation around which data matters most in assessing school effectiveness, replacing it with the freedom for educators to determine to a larger extent what should be measured and how the resulting data may be used to guide change and improvement efforts.

The passage of ESSA, while an important and hopeful sign of less meddlesome and counterproductive federal oversight, is only half of the issue of whether the next decade will help or hinder school improvement efforts nationwide. Only during implementation phases of the new law may details emerge that will determine ultimate success or failure of ESSA.

It is with this backdrop that this series will consider the new opportunities created by the prudent, logical, and progressive use of data to drive school improvement efforts in what looks to be the first term of either President Hillary Clinton or President Donald Trump. An examination of four central reasons to embrace data in public school districts as they simultaneously embrace change under ESSA is one way to frame the coming debate.

1. Data can motivate students and staff members to improve performance. Few people involved in public schooling lack a competitive spirit or would deny their own instincts to improve performance over time. The same reason why we keep score in sports drives the process of change in any organization, especially if the data collected is known to be reliable and, most importantly, locally derived. Data collected for the purpose of improving future performance, without punishing those involved in producing the data, celebrates the competitive spirit that imbues most professions, public education among them. 

It is only when data is used to shame people into an effort to improve practice do we see a resistance to its value or an objection to its use. The most recent example of this process gone awry was the rollout of using student performance data to gauge teacher effectiveness, a common practice during the darkest days of NCLB implementation. The absurd notion that how children perform on one assessment can be broadly determinative as to the effectiveness of their teacher above all other factors is thankfully giving way to a more nuanced view of student assessment and its rightful place in school improvement efforts.

Districts and their leaders are beginning to understand and appreciate the value of connecting dollars spent on academic improvement to actual data derived from that process. The next item in this series will examine the value of doing precisely that, a concept that is making the transition from being nice to have to essential as a data-management tool in the school improvement landscape under ESSA.

[schoolwealth-blog]

10 Elements of Superintendent Performance and Evaluation - Part 10

(Tenth of a 10-part series)

Superintendents are evaluated on their performance formally by the board of education every year and informally by the public they serve every day. The communication, public relations, political, and management skills required by the job can at times seem overwhelming, but there are few positions of leadership in public education that can be more rewarding than serving as a superintendent of schools.

This series has examined many aspects of the superintendency that provide the basis for formal, yearly evaluation, typically undertaken by the board of education and focused on gains in academic achievement. Whether fairly or not, however, superintendents are often informally evaluated on aspects of their performance that have more to do with personal than professional qualities. In many states, the life expectancy of a superintendent can be fewer than two years, conflicting with the body of research which strongly suggests that real change in any organization is only possible with consistent and sustained leadership.

Stability at the top of any organization is generally and rightly perceived as a desirable goal, especially if there is a mutual commitment to the good of the organization and, in the case of public education, a consistent focus on the needs and interests of students above all other factors. One way to ensure that outcome is to lead people by demonstrating the skills that typically make any teacher successful, with empathy, enthusiasm, and optimism topping the list.

10. Leading People  People take their cues from the leadership of most organizations. Leading people in a public school district requires the deft handling of entrenched and often competing interests, including sometimes intractable teacher unions, overly meddlesome board members, and overindulging parents. Demonstrating infinite patience with any and all of these aspects of the job, and dealing forthrightly with things that can be changed and need to be changed is a recipe for success in the role of schools superintendent.

Establishing a strong and positive working relationship with the leadership of the local teacher union is arguably the most important single step in leading people successfully in any school setting. Teachers are the life-blood of the employees in every school district, and treating them fairly by interacting with their leadership regularly, professionally, and proactively is a practice that all but guarantees success of the organization. When the leadership of two organizations that should work closely and cohesively for the good of students are known to work well together, the beneficial impact of that approach are tangible and durable.

When any school leader ascends to a central office leadership role, the stark difference between dealing predominantly with board members instead of colleague educators is jarring. In the typical progression from school principal to superintendent, losing contact with students is another factor that makes the potentially lonely role of district leader ever more so. Seasoned and successful superintendents, therefore, are those who make a consistent effort to maintain regular contact with staff members in buildings, even as they interact with members of the board whenever necessary.

Cultivating and nurturing a strong and mutually respectful relationship with the president of the board is essential if one is to succeed as a superintendent. There must never be information known by the superintendent and purposely kept from the board president, a concept ideally accompanied by its logical corollary. Just as district and union leadership should be forthcoming with one another for the good of the district, so too should superintendent and board president share information freely and discuss potential outcomes intelligently.

Parents can often represent the biggest relationship challenge to school leaders, often fueled by misinformation or false information that unfortunately and frequently flows faster than truthful information regarding events in schools and districts. All school leaders grapple with the balance between keeping the community appropriately informed without violating anyone's right to privacy, an issue that often arises in times of crisis or conflict.

The same template of establishing strong and positive working relationships with the leadership of the board and the leadership of teacher unions extends to the leadership of parent groups, and successful superintendents cultivate those relationships from their very first days in the job. Establishing a reputation based on being accessible, personable, and interested in the needs of students first and foremost is the surest way to gain and maintain the support of parents. Taking the time to explain the reasons for difficult decisions with an appropriate degree of candor and without descending into gossip is another way to earn the lasting respect and appreciation of parents. 

Being a school superintendent is not for the faint of heart or weak of spirit. It is a job that requires total and absolute commitment to students and their best interests, coupled with a passion for staying current on what works locally, nationally, and around the world. It is a job that increasingly relies on the collection and analyzation of data to guide decision making, with the tacit and explicit acknowledgment that increasing academic achievement in a cost-effective manner trumps all other goals.

The coming months and years are bound to include the need for districts to invest in the infrastructure and software that enables the seamless development, collection, and analysis of data that connects dollars spent directly to academic gains achieved. The performance and, therefore, evaluation of school superintendents hinges on developing and sharing such data, constituting the fairest manner possible of gauging the success of a district and the value of those who lead them.

[schoolwealth-blog]

10 Elements of Superintendent Performance and Evaluation - Part 9

(Ninth of a 10-part series) 

District leaders who are new to the role quickly learn that the comprehensive nature of the job requires time management and prioritization skills that they likely do not possess, regardless of the prior positions they may have held in public education. Being the instructional leader of an entire district is just one part of the job, albeit the most important aspect of district leadership. The handling of myriad logistical details, without losing sight of maintaining and championing an overarching vision for the district, can overwhelm even seasoned superintendents.

It has often been said that the best approach to school leadership requires that those who serve in that capacity are sure to manage things and lead people. Leading people by providing a consistently positive and optimistic example, and by evidencing an appreciation for the work done by staff members in every facet of district operations, is often easier and more rewarding for school leaders than managing the many things that cross the desk of the superintendent.

9. Managing Things  It is not at all uncommon, regardless of the size of a given school district, for parents or community members to stop in at the office of the superintendent and expect an immediate and unscheduled meeting to discuss a concern or idea. These impromptu meetings, if handled diplomatically and successfully, can often bear beneficial fruit for the district, even as they may interrupt the workflow at the district level. Educators who are uncomfortable in the skin of a politician in situations that require political skill can feel frustrated with this likely unanticipated aspect of district leadership.

Some of the things that come to the attention of the superintendent rightly belong elsewhere in the organization, and seasoned superintendents rarely take on tasks that can be better and more appropriately handled by others in the organization. When asked to consider such a project, superintendents often and wisely ask experts elsewhere in the district to join them for initial discussions, thereby demonstrating simultaneously an interest in new ideas and an appreciation for the roles played by others.

One example of this process is when a parent registers a concern with something that may have happened, or that they were told happened, at their child's school. If such a concern comes to the superintendent in an initial stage, the best approach is to inquire whether the situation has been addressed at the building level by the principal or her/his designee. It would likely surprise anyone who has never served in a district leadership role to learn how frequently people are inclined to go "right to the top," often using that phrase or a variation of it to introduce themselves or their issue.

It should surprise no one that people become exorcised more easily and readily when it come to their children and the best interests of their children than with any other aspect of their lives. Meeting people at their level of concern, empathizing with them without being condescending, and evidencing an eagerness to help whenever possible is an apt description of the process undertaken by superintendents who "manage things" well. Failing to do any of these things can result in developing a constituency that may begin to doubt sincerity or commitment, with detrimental impacts for the district and its students.

Concerns brought to the attention of district leaders more frequently involve things that have little to do directly with academic or educational issues, a fact that may seem counterintuitive to those who have not served in a position of district leadership. Complaints about coaches, facilities, the extra-curricular program, or many other things far from academic achievement far outnumber issues related to which math series to use or how to teach writing skills to developing writers.

It has been said that recommending the hiring of a head football coach is a more important decision than anything related to actual educational issues, at least in the eyes of some parents or, unfortunately, some board members. Wishing it were not so is counterproductive, and working to highlight all areas of pride for the district, including academics and sports, is critically important. Though some may unwittingly pit one against the other, both can successfully coexist in public school districts.

Managing things may seem easy and may appear less important to the overall success of a district than leading people, a false premise that diminishes the importance of handling both responsibilities successfully. Seasoned and successful superintendents have an innate ability to do both, typically every day and sometimes within the same conversation with a parent or a board member.

The last item in this series will examine aspects of leading people in a way that positions a district for continuous improvement and ultimate success. Recommending the best people for every position, and supporting them in a way that encourages them to do their best work, is the aspiration of every district leader. Examining the details embedded with that process can help every superintendent make their district more successful.